Thursday, June 21, 2012

Baseball, Brewery, Antiques

Thursday, June 21, 2012

After finishing boards, the hubby and I decided we needed a mini vacation from Albany, so we took a day trip to Cooperstown, NY. Let's just say I'm in love. Instead of taking the highway the entire time, we got off early and wove through the hills among the farms. It was so beautiful! The weather was a bit cloudy, but it made all the greenery just pop. I love the early June green that covers every living plant. It's so new and bright and fresh. Incredible.

The town itself is also adorable! Almost everything has a "baseball" flavor since Cooperstown is home to the Baseball Hall of Fame, which was our first stop.

Ichiro (Seattle Mariner) was all over the museum.

One of many NY rings

I'll be honest here. I have never been in love with the game. It's not that I don't enjoy sports, but baseball seems so slow to me, and coming from Seattle, we haven't exactly had the most exciting team to watch. All that to say, Andrew educated me on some of the history as we made our way through the museum and hall of fame, and I definitely have a new found appreciation for the sport!

It was great reading all the stories about dedicated fans, and seeing the pictures of some of the earliest games. In general, I find that knowing more about something gives it more depth and personal meaning. Rather than just seeing baseball as simply a sport, I started to see it encompassing tradition, unity among racial and socioeconomic groups, family bonding, music, food, and so much more.

If you are ever in the area, I definitely recommend taking your time through the historical evolution of baseball while touring the museum!

After the Hall of Fame, we headed to the Ommegang Brewery, just a few miles away. The brewery was fantastic. It is nestled between the hills, and feels like it's in the middle of nowhere, which is perfect. In the summer, they have concerts and camping - definitely a great spot for both!

(Explaining to Andrew how this lens works as we started our tour in the rain!)

Headed inside for some lunch!

The $3 tasting and the free tour were lovely. They also have a great restaurant with the best fries. I'm seriously drooling as I think about them now. YUM! We'll be back at the brewery in July for a concert. Can't wait!

On our way home, we stopped at this antique shop. It was so big! Tons of neat things. We will definitely be coming back to Cooperstown again!